Thursday, June 23, 2016

One of our STEAM challenges was designing and building a boat that will sail and also hold weight.

We talked about designs of boats and how they move. We brainstormed a class chart. We also listed materials that boats are made out of and to think how our materials could be used. We used a lab sheet that went through each step of the engineering and design process. I always have my students design on their own and then makes groups. I do no more than three in a group to manage problems and allowing everyone to participate. You need more materials but it works so much better. I have my students build and test. They need to write down problems, improvements, and solutions as they are working. I sometimes limit how many tests they are allowed. They will help manage issues. I did give new paper if it got wet but did not replace anything else.

Each group used the following items:

1 piece of aluminum foil

1 piece of tape

1 straw

1 craft stick

1 piece of paper

Building and Sailing our boats using an under the bed storage container and fan.

Testing with marbles to see if the boats can hold weight.

I love how my students collaborate and persevere during the lessons. It is the best way to get students to work as a team!